


Traditions

by Cosmic_Biscuit



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas, Creepy Fluff, Dorks, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:59:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9056392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cosmic_Biscuit/pseuds/Cosmic_Biscuit
Summary: By request: The Paladins thought it would be funny to make their Altean hosts think Christmas is some nightmarish eldritch sacrificial holiday. This was a bad idea. Very bad. Because on Altea, the things that go bump in the night don't care about such frivolities as "naughty or nice". Joyeaux Noel.





	

“And you say you put tiny  _flames_ in these… ‘Kris-Mas’ trees?”

Pidge nodded, huddling in on herself with  mock shiver. “They hold the monsters off as long as they can. Well, the Claus, anyway. There’s really not much you can do about the Krampus except hope it doesn’t find much in the way of bad deeds when it scans your soul. If it does-” She drew a line across her throat.

“Or hope that the Claus is appeased enough by the sacrifices that it’ll control its buddy,” Hunk added, somehow managing to keep a perfectly straight face as he put out the bowl of kuupa nut cookies he and Coran had spent all day making. “It gets greedier every year, that’s why it’s so huge. People keep putting out more and more treats trying to keep it happy.”

Behind Coran and Allura, Shiro was biting his tongue and Lance had a hand clamped over his mouth, both of them nearly shaking from trying to hold in laughter at their friends’ theatrics. 

Then all the hilarity drained out of the room at a soft sigh of “Oh, dear,” from Allura.

“How sad that Earth children have to go through the same terrors as little Alteans,” she said with a small shake of her head as she continued hanging up the replicator-made not-quite-tinsel.

“Er- wait, you said _same?_ ” Lance asked hesitantly.

“Oh, yes,” Coran said pouring out mugs of the fullial root not-chocolate. “The grown ups always tried to treat it as a party to make it a little easier on the little ones, but no one ever really enjoyed Borkhan Night. That was when the migration route of the Bom’Hadrax passed over Altea.”

Hunk sort of turtle-necked into his vest, clutching the bowl a little tighter. “What… did _they_ do?”

“Well, they didn’t _do_ anything, as long as you could avoid them,” Allura explained. “The problem was _avoiding_ them. The nasty things were… well, they were almost like living shadow. No seam or crack was safe. And if they looked you in the eye-” she snapped her fingers. “It was off to the care home for you. Or at least that was how the stories went,” she said, looking at Coran.

He shook his head. “Unfortunately, they were true. I lost a few offworlder military friends who decided our superstitions were bunk and they were going to go out on Borkhan Night. Last bad decision they ever made. But!” he added, perking right back up. “We’re nowhere near the migration routes, and surely we’ve made enough treats to ward off these Claws and Krampus creatures! So let’s get on with our Kris-Mas, shall we?”

The Paladins all glanced at each other uneasily. “S-sure.”

\---

 _T'was the night before Kris-Mas and all through the Castle_  
_Several creatures were creeping_  
_With much fear and hassle_

 _Every window they checked, nervous and with care_  
_Each nook, seam, and cranny_  
_That no Bom'Hadrax were there_

_The Princess in her nightgown and her retainer in his cap  
Had settled themselves for a several cycles' nap_

_When down in the kitchens there arose such a clatter  
They sprang from their beds to find out what was the matter_

\---

"Sweet stardust! Are you lot alright?" Coran asked, looking down at them from the doorway, and the five of them looked anywhere but him.

"Uh, yeah, sure, peachy," Lance replied with some strain from the bottom of the heap they'd ended up in. "Just, uh, midnight snacking, is all, right, guys?"

"Yep."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, then, get to bed," Allura said, a little crossly as she turned to go. "This 'Claws' creature of yours doesn't come unless everyone's asleep, right?"

Pidge scratched her head. "Who cares about-" Hunk elbowed her. "Oh, right. Claus. Right... Just Claus... no... shadow things... yeah."

They stayed fortified in the kitchen the rest of the night.


End file.
